Dehydration, high blood pressure, anxiety attacks…all incidents that a few of my mommy friends have experienced recently. And all were a result of not taking care of themselves. I must say, WE NEED TO DO BETTER!As women, we tend to put everything and everyone before our own needs and it leaves us empty, depleted, and in the ER. No bueno.

Self-care is crucial to our health. If we aren’t good, we can’t be any good to our children, partner or job. We gotta get this together, pronto. (plus, I’m too young and fabulous to add years to my life).

So, I’m far from being Moses, but let me drop these 10 commandments of self-care so we can be our best for ourselves and the people we love:

1. Thou shall set a routine and stick to it. Set aside “self care” time, whether it’s 20 minutes at the end of each day or 1 hour on the weekend. Make this non-negotiable time. Make everyone around you aware that this time is important and will not be messed with.

2. Thou shall have an attitude of gratitude. In order to get what we desire, we first have to be thankful for what we have. Use your self-care time to write in your gratitude journal, pray or listen to worship music - whatever you do to speak with your higher power.

3. Thou shall use your vacation days. Take them! That’s what they’re for. According to the Project: Time Off's State of American Vacation report, more than half of American workers (54%) left vacation time unused in 2017 - time that couldn’t be rolled over. Wasted free time?!? Oh no, we must do better! Schedule a vacation day or 2 now. The work will still be there when you get back. Make yourself a priority!

4. Thou shall connect with others. Having a few laughs with my sister over the phone or chatting it up with the book club crew can make a world of difference in improving my mood. Spend time connecting with people you can relate to or know that it’ll be a guaranteed good time.

5. Thou shall eat and eat well. I know this sounds simple but it’s necessary. On a busy day, you may look up and realize the only food you had is the handful of Teddy Grahams you stuffed in your mouth while making your child’s lunch. Not healthy. Treat yourself to a healthy meal or make a fruit and veggie smoothie.

6. Thou shall get active.Exercise helps me tons! I love to burn off stress through a workout or clear my head while jogging. Being active is actually one of the most effective ways to improve your mental and physical health. If you’re not the gym type, turn on some music and dance or just take a walk. Give it a try!

7. Thou shall learn how to be still. Do something to quiet the million thoughts running through your mind each day. Take a bath with a LUSH bath bomb (Twilight is one of my favs!). Unplug from social media and find a quiet space. Meditate, pray or see commandment #2.

8. Thou shall look fabulous. If we’re going to be busy, at least we can look good too. Go for a mani and pedi, deep condition your hair or get a skin sheet mask (one of Ryan's favorite beauty products) to nourish your skin.

9. Thou shall do what makes thou happy.What’s something you’re passionate about or love to do? Is it painting, going to brunch with your besties, repurposing furniture, or debating about Cardi B's influence on today's women? Whatever it is, find a way to do it.

10. Thou shall not give a F*CK. I realized how much I worry about being the perfect mom or caring too much about what others think of me. It's mentally exhausting. My mom things that made me busy were things I really didn’t want to do. I did them to prove myself or be accepting of others. Once I said no to pleasing others and not feel bad about it, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulder. I recently read The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*CK by Mark Manson and learned a thing or 2 about being a less stressful me. Try not giving a damn and see how good you feel.

What do you do for self-care? What’s a self-care commandment that you live by?

All content provided on www.BestiesandBrunch.com is for informational purposes only. The owners of this blog make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.